3 Days Budongo Forest Chimpanzee Trekking & Murchison Falls

Budongo Forest, on the southern edge of Murchison Falls National Park, is one of Uganda’s largest natural forests and home to a well-studied, long-habituated chimpanzee community, paired here with a visit to Murchison Falls itself. Budongo’s chimp permits and Murchison Falls’ park entry fees are managed separately, so both should be confirmed together given this itinerary’s tight three-day schedule.

3 Days Budongo Forest Chimpanzee Trekking & Murchison Falls Itinerary

Day 1: Transfer to Budongo Forest & Murchison Falls

A scenic drive north brings you to the Budongo Forest area on the edge of Murchison Falls National Park, with time to settle into your lodge and prepare for the following day. This drive climbs through Uganda’s southwestern highlands, among the most densely cultivated and terraced landscapes in the country, before reaching Bwindi’s forest edge.

Day 2: Chimpanzee Trekking & Murchison Falls

A morning guided trek through Budongo’s mahogany and ironwood canopy brings you to the resident chimpanzee community. In the afternoon, you’ll visit Murchison Falls itself, where the entire Nile forces its way through a gap barely seven meters wide. Budongo’s chimp community has been studied since the 1990s, and trackers here are especially practiced at reading fresh nest and feeding sign left overnight to locate the group quickly.

Day 3: Morning Game Drive & Departure

A final morning game drive across the park’s savannah gives you a chance at lion, elephant, giraffe, and buffalo before your driver-guide transfers you onward for departure. Because this is the final activity before departure, guides typically keep the drive efficient, prioritizing areas with recent predator activity over covering the whole park.

What’s Included

• Airport or hotel pickup and drop-off
• Private 4×4 safari vehicle with professional English-speaking driver-guide
• Chimpanzee trekking or habituation permit(s) as specified in the itinerary
• Accommodation as specified, on a bed & breakfast basis unless otherwise stated
• All ground transport and park transfers
• Bottled drinking water while on safari
• All applicable government taxes

What’s Excluded

• International flights
• Uganda visa fees
• Tips and gratuities for guides and lodge staff
• Personal travel and medical insurance
• Meals not specified as included in the itinerary
• Items of a personal nature (laundry, souvenirs, phone or internet charges)
• Optional activities not listed in the itinerary